Trolley-retriever.



C. I. EARLL.

TROLLEY RETRIEVER.

APPLICATION TILED JUNE 17,1909.

Patented Sept. 15, 1914.

Y 2 SHBETSSHEET 1 O. I. EARLL.

TROLLEY RETRIEVER.

APPLIUATION FILED JUNE 17,1909.

Patente i Sept. 15, 1914.

8 SHEETS-SHEET WITNESSES CHARLES I. EARLL, OF NEW YORK, Y.

TROLLEY-RETRIEVER.

Specification of petters Patent. Patented Sept. 1 5, 1914.

Application filed June 17, 1909. Serial No. 502,744.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, CHARLES I. EABLL, acitizen of the United States of America, and resident of the city,county, and State of New York, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in, Trolley-Retrievers, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to trolley retrievers.

The object of my invention is to provide a device of this characterwhich shall be sim ple and effective in its construction and operationand one which shall be especially adapted'for use on trolley cars ofmoderate speeds.

My invention consists in providing a drum for the trolley rope which isnormally under the action of a relatively'weak spring capable ofrotating the drum to take up and pay out the slack which would otherwiseoccur in the trolley rope due to the variations in the height of thetrolley wire or conductor, in providing a power spring which is normallywound u and locked, and means for automatically re easing the same whenthe trolley jumps the wire and causing the power spring to act upon thedrum for one revolution or less of the drum, or for a limited number ofrevolutions, and in so arranging the mechanism that the drum maycontinue to revolve after the power spring has ceased to act upon it soas to take in the slack and retain the trolley pole in the lowestposition to which it is brought by momentum.

In the retrievers heretofore in use it has been necessary in order torewind or reset the power spring, to pull out an amount of rope equal tothat which was taken in during the retrieving action, whereas by meansof the novel mode of operation of my present invention the amount whichthe trolley is lowered by the retrieving action is considerably greaterthan the length of trolley rope which has to be withdrawn from theretriever to reset or rewind the power spring.

In the practical operation of my present invention, the retrievingaction exceeds the length of rope required to be pulled out of theretriever by about fifty per cent.'

My invention consists further in other novel features and constructionsto be hereinafter more fully pointed out and described.

In the drawings accompanying and forming part of this application,Figure 1 is a partial section on line a-a of Fig. 2, Fig. 2

is a section on line b?) of Fig. 1, Fig. 3 is a partial sectioncorrespondin to Fig. 1 showing the parts in difierent relation, andFigs. 4, 5 and 6 represent respectively a partial side view, partialsection and detail of a modification.

The reference characters are used in the same sense throughout thedrawings and the specifications.

Numeral 1 represents the case which is formed of the shell 2 and theback 3. The back 3 has teeth 4 formed therein. The two parts 2 and 3 ofthe casing are held together by the central shaft 5 on the front end ofwhich is secured the collar 6 While its back end is threaded and engagedby the thumb nut 7. Mounted on the shaft 5 is the intermediate 8. Theintermediate has an elongated sleeve or hub 9 formed upon it which runsupon the shaft 5. The drum 10 is provided with a transverse web 11 whichhas a central opening bearing upon the sleeve 9 of the intermediate. Theouter end of the drum is turned out so as to leave a shoulder 12 toreceive the disk 13 which is made removable for the purpose ofassembling and disassembling the power spring 14. The disk 13 has acentral opening which bears upon the sleeve 9 of'the intermediate.Between the disk 13 and the web 11, is the power spring 14, having itsouter end secured to the drum and its inner end to the sleeve 9. In therecess in the end of the drum, on the other side of the disk 13, is thetension spring 15 which has its outer end secured to the drum and itsinner end to the inwardly projecting hub 16 formed on the collar 6. Theintermediate has a stud 17 formed upon it which carries the lock pawl18. The lock pawl 18 has a .tooth 19 which engages a tooth 20 on thedrum and it has an end or abutment 21 which is adapted to engage theteeth 4 in the back. When the abutment 21 of the lock pawl 18 is outinto full engagement with the teeth 4, the point of the tooth 19 willclear the tooth 20 on the drum; and similarly when the tooth 19 is infull engagement with the tooth 20 on the drum the lock pawl will clearthe teeth 4. The lock pawl may, however, be partially withdrawn from itsengagement with the teeth 4 so as to permit the tooth 20 on the drum toengage the tooth 19 on the lock pawl while the abutment 21 is still inengagement with the tooth 4. the purpose of which will be hereafterexplained.

. normally occupy when the power spring 1swound up and locked and thetrolley ison The centrifugal pawl 22 is pivotally mounted on the pawl18. A spring 23 secured to the stud 24 of the Centrifugal pawl 22 andbearing against the intermediate,

tends to move the end of the centrifugal pawl toward the center: of thedrum, its inner position being determined by the engagement of'the pin26 with the web 25, formed on the intermediate. Theweb 25 is circularand concentric withthe center of rotation of the intermediate, and thepin 26 rests upon the web 25 both when the lock pawl is in engagementwith the drum as in Fig. 1 and when it is in engagement with the teeth4: of the back as in Fig. 3, and the distance ofthe periphery of the webfrom the center issu ch as to bring the hook 30 of the centrifugal pawlin position to be engaged by the lug 31 on the drum. A radial rib or lug27 is formed on the face of the drum and a radial lug 28 is formedonthe'fa'ce of theinterme diate in the plane of the rib 2? so that therelative rotation of the drum and the intermediate in either directionis limited by the engagement of these two 'ribsor lugs. As shown in thedrawings, thedrum, if released, may make about seyen-eighths of arevolution to the right, as seen in Fig. 1, before the lug 27 willengage on the opposite side of thelug 28 and cause the intermediate torotate with the drum. The parts are shown in Figs. land 2 in theposition ,which'they the wire. When there is a sudden jerk on thetrolleyropef the centrifugal pawl is I thrown outwardly against theactionv of the spring 23 and-engages a tooth 4c in the back. Thecontinued movement of the drum will then cause the lock pawl 18 to beforced out into engagement with a tooth 4. As soon as the tooth 19 hasreleased thetooth 2O on' the drum, the power spring will rotate the drumto the right, as seen in Fig. 1, winding up the trolley rope and pullingthe pole down. The amount of this rotation under the action of the powerspring is limited, as' above stated, by the lugs 27 and 28 upon the drumand intermediate, respectively. The power spring 14 is preferably ofsuch strength that after the lock pawl has been released and the drumhas turned until the lug 27 has engaged the opposite side of the lug 28,it will still be strong enough to at least balance the upward pull ofthe trolley. During the turning of the drum, the drum and the trolleypole acquire momentum which, augmented somewhat by the tension spring 15carries them beyond the point reached when contact is made between thelugs, and the drum and since the spring 23 has a tendency to push fortyto fifty per cent.

the lock pawl away from the drum into engagement with the teeth 4, aswill be clearly perceived by'considering the parts in the positionsshown in Fig. 3. If the drum and intermediate were there turned slightlyto the right so as to relieve the pressure between the end of the lockpawl and the tooth 4: which it engages and the lock pawl were .pushedtoward the drum, it is obvious-that the stud 24; of the centrifugal pawlwould turn relatively to the lock pawl" and the spring 23 would befurther wound around the stud and would resist such motion; It istherefore seen that by means of this construction the trolley may belowered an amount greater than the amount of rope which will have'tobewithdrawn from the retriever'in order to reset the power spring. Theamount of this excess of retrieving action will of course depend uponthe relative strength of thepower spring and the trolley base springs,as well as the weight, friction etc. In practice I have found it to befrom When the centrifugal pawl 22 occupies a horizontal position abovethe center of the shaft, the centrifugal force must. overcome the spring23 and in addition thereto the effect of gravity on the centrifugalpawl, and when the centrifugal'pawl occupies a horizontal-position belowthe center of the shaft centrifugal force must overcome only thedifference between the spring 23 and the efiiect of gravity on thecentrifugal pawl. In order that the action of the centrifugal pawl maybeuniform throughout its revolu-. tion, or in other words in order toneutralize the efi'ect of gravity on the pawl, I make the points ofcontact between the centrifugal pawl; and the'tc'eth 4 eccentric to thecenter of the shaft '5 by making a cut29 shown by dotted lines in-Fig.1, and full lines in Fig- 2. This eccentric cut in the teeth is madedeep enough'only to accommodate the cen trifugal pawlQ-Q. The abutment21 of the lock pawl being broader makes contact with the teeth beyondthe eccentric cut and "is therefore not affected by said out.

, The centrifugal pawl 22 is provided with a'lug 30whieh engages the lugor point 31 on the drum. When the setting of the power spring is nearlygpmpleted, the lug 31 en.- gages the' hook 3 on the centrifugal pawl andpulls thelock pawl toward the drum'until the point of the tooth 19 hascome slightly within the radius of the tooth 20 on the drum at the sametime as the lugs 27 and 28 come in contact. Then, when the pull on thetrolley rope is relaxed, the drum, under the action of thepower springwill turn to the right as seen in Fig. 1, and the engagement'of thetooth 20 with the tooth 19 on the lock pawl will cause the pawl to passinto full engagement with the tooth 20 and out of engagement with thetooth 4 of the back.

To more clearly explain this action I wilf .then turn to the rightapproximately seveneighths of a'revolution. The lug 31 will not thenhave passed the hook 30 on the centrifugal pawl. The lugs 27 and 28prevent any further rotation of the intermediate and the drumunderthe-action of the power spring. Then when-the rope is pulled out fromthe retriever to wind up the power spring, the drum will turn to theleft, and near the end'of the turning, that is just before the lugs 27and 28 come in contact, the

- lug 31' will engage the'hook 30 and pull the lock pawl a shortdistance toward the drum,

a distance suficient, however, to bring the.

extreme point 19 of the lock pawl within the radius o'fithe tooth 20 onthe drum by the time that the lugs 97 and 28 have come in contact. vThenwhen the pull on thetrolley rope is relaxed the drum will turn slightlytothe right under the actionof the power spring, the lock pawl-stillbeing in engagement with the tooth of theback although it has beenpartially withdrawn from such en gagement, until the tooth 20 engagesthe tooth 19. The angle ofthe contact surfaces is such that as the pullon the rope is further relaxed the lock pawl is forced home to itsnormal position shown in Fig. l.

y In Figs. 4, 5 and 6 I have illustrated a modification of my invention,by means of which the power spring is caused to act for I more thanonerevolu-tion, in fact for about one and three-quarters revolutions asshown. In this ihodi-fication a disk is interposed between the web 11 ofthe drum 211:? thy termediatefl. This disk is provided with a lug3%which engages the lug 27 on the drum,and a lug 35 which engages thelug 28 on the intermediate. The centrifugal paw] 36is provided with ahook 37 which engages the lug 38011 the disk in lieu of the lug 31 Itwill be obvious that in this modification when the lock paw-l isreleased from the drum the will turn to the right as seen in Fig. 4

until the h1g2? engages the opposite side. of

"the lug Sion the disk and willcontinue to revolve,, carrying thediskwith itiuntil-the lug 3 5 on the disk engages the opposite side ofthe lug 28 on the intermediate, after which the drum andintermediatmwill revolve together until the momentum is overcome by thetrolley base springs.

Having thus described my invention what I claim is:

up to a degree more than sufficient to overcome the upward pull of thetrolley pole, means for automatically releasing said power spring on asudden pull of the trolley rope Whereby said spring is put into actionand for limiting the amount of its action including means for retainingthe drum in the position to which it is carried by momentum, after thepower spring has ceased to act.

2. In a trolleyretriever the combination gwiththree relatively movablemembers, one

fconstituting' a drum, another stationary member and the third anintermediate, of a power spring having one end secured to saidintermediate and the other end to one of the other of said members, alocking means between said intermediate and said member to which saidpower spring is secured adapted to retain said power spring in itsnormally, wound'up conditionv anda retaining means between saidintermediate and said other member to retain said power spring after therelease of said locking means and the unwinding of: said power spring apredetermined amount, said lockingmeans including means operatingbetween said intermediate and the member not secured to said powerspring permitting said drum to rotate in a direction to wind up trolleyrope and opposing its rotation in a direction to unwind trolley ropewhen said retaining means is in action.

3. In a trolley retriever the combination vith a drum adapted to receivethe trolley rope, a power spring and mechanism by which said powerspring is adaptedto be automatically thrown intoaction on a sudden pullof thetrolley -rope to rotate the drum to wind up the trolley rope, of,means for limiting the action of the power'spring and causing it tocease to act beforedt has completely relaxed, and means governed by saidmechanism for retaining the drum in the position to which it iscarriedby momentum after the power spring has ceased to act. v

l. In a trolley retriever the combination with three relatively movablemembers, one constituting a drum for the trolley rope. another anormally stationary member and the third an intermediate member, said.drum and said intermediate being concentrically and rotatably mounted,of a power spring connecting said intermcdiate'memher with one of theother of said members, and a stop acting between said intermediate andthe member connected with'it by the power spring, adapted to limittheirrelativc rotation in both directions and means acting between saidintermediate and the said Y other a normally stationary member and thethird an intermediate member, said drum,

and said intermediate being concentrically and rotatably mounted, of apower sprin connecting said intermediate member wit one of the other ofsaid members, and a stop acting between said intermediate and the memberconnected with it by the power spring, adapted to limit the unwinding ofsaid power'spring and a ratchet and pawl connection between 'said'intermediate and the said member not connected with the power springpermitting their relative rotation in one direction and preventing it inthe opposite direction, when the power spring has reached the limit ofits unwindmg. a

6. In a trolley retriever the combination with a drum, of anintermediate mounted concentrically with said drum and having a lugsecured thereto a power spring connecting said drum and saidintermediate tending to rotate them in opposite directions and a lug onsaid drum adapted to engage said lug on said intermediate to limit theirrelative rotation in both directions.

v7. In a trolley retriever the combination with a case provided with atooth and a shaft mounted in said case, of a drum provided with a toothand an intermediate member rotatably mounted on said shaft, a

power spring connecting said drum and said intermediate member, a lockpawl mounted on said intermediate member adapted to engage the tooth onsaid drum and to be released therefrom and to engage the-tooth 'on saidcase and to simultaneously engage the tooth on said drum and the toothon said case.

8. Ina trolley retriever the combination with a case provided withinternal ratchet teeth and a shaft centrally located with respect tosaid teeth, of a drum and an intermediate rotatably mounted on saidshaft, a power spring secured to said drum and to said intermediatetending to rotate them in opposite directions, a tooth on said drum, anda lock on said intermediate adapted when in one position to engage thetooth on said drum and clear the teeth in said case, in another positionto engage a tooth in said case and clear the tooth on said drum, and inan intermediate position -to simultaneous'l engage a tooth in said case.and the toot on said drum.

9. The combination with a drum of a centrifugal pawl pivotally mountedand adapt-' ed to revolve with said drum, a spring tending to hold thefree end of said centrifugal pawl towardthejcenter of revolution, and aplurality of teeth adapted to be engaged by said centrifugal pawlarranged eccentrically. to the axis about which said centrifugal pawlrevolves.

' 10. A trolle retriever case having a con-H5 said intermediate, and acentrifugal pawl pivoted to said lock pawl and adapted to engage saidteeth. Y Y

12. In a trolley retriever the combination with a cage provided with atooth, of a drum provided with a tooth rotatably mounted in said case,an intermediate mounted to rotate concentricallywith said drum andconnected therewith by a retrieving spring, a lock pawl mounted on saidin-- termediate adapted to engage the tooth on said drum and clear thetooth in said case,

to engage the tooth-in said case and clear said drum, and tosimultaneously engage said teeth on said drum and said case.

13. In a trolley retriever the combination with a case provided withinternal teeth .and

a shaft mounted in said case, of a drum pro-- vided with a tooth and aprojection, and'an intermediate member rotatably mounted on said shaft,a retrieving spring connecting said drum and said intermediate member,:1 lock pawl pivotally mounted on said intermediate member and adaptedto engage the teeth in said case in its outer position, the tooth onsaid drum in its inner position and to engage the teeth in said case andsaid drum in-its intermediate position, and a centrifugal pawl pivotallymounted on said lock pawl adapted to engage the teeth in said casetorelease said lock pawl from saiddrum and to engage said projection onsaid drum to draw said lock pawl into engagement with the tooth on saiddrum.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of v two subscribing witnesses. I

CHARLES I. EARLL.

Witnesses F. M. HILL, ERNEST MILLER.

